cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Proposal Sparks Debate





Marijuana Proposal Sparks Debate
Posted by CN Staff on June 19, 2003 at 09:32:14 PT
By Kevin Livingston, Staff Writer
Source: Prague Post 
Sitting on an open patch of grass in Letna park, the 21-year-old salesman casually rolled a marijuana cigarette. He lit it and took three deep drags before passing it to a friend. "It doesn't turn you into a drug addict," said the smoker, who gave his name only as Josef. "Pot is the same as beer." Josef's ritual is a common sight in a country where an estimated 400,000 marijuana users are largely ignored by the authorities and tolerated by most everyone. 
Now Deputy Prime Minister Petr Mares wants to alter the criminal code and liberalize the country's marijuana laws to further reflect that relaxed attitude. Mares, a Freedom Union deputy in charge of anti-drug policy, wants to distinguish between the use of marijuana and harder drugs, such as cocaine and heroin. He was inspired by the findings of a recent two-year, government-funded study that concluded marijuana use is less harmful than alcohol or tobacco. The proposal would amend the country's 1999 drug law so that users and small growers could face only a fine for marijuana possession. Under the existing statute, possession of 10 marijuana cigarettes could land a person in prison for up to two years. The proposal, which is part of a larger Justice Ministry bill to amend the penal code, is also aimed at cleaning up ambiguous language in the law that gives police discretion in regards as to what constitutes a large amount of the drug. The law defines a large amount only as "an amount larger than small." Plan applauded Although the legislation has yet to be introduced in Parliament, marijuana advocates are applauding Mares plan, which would follow the trend in Western Europe to soften penalties for marijuana use by redefining it as a health rather than a criminal issue. Since 1999, eight of the 15 current EU member states have amended their drug laws to decriminalize marijuana use, according to the U.S.-based National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana laws. Passage of the proposal would also signal a step away from most former Eastern bloc countries, where possessing as little as one marijuana cigarette can bring sever penalties, including prison time. Mares said his amendment is needed to stop youths from making the jump from marijuana to harder drugs. He said statistics show that 50 percent of the nation's high-school-age students have used marijuana. In Prague, he said, that number jumps to 70 percent. "The real threat is that they will make another step from marijuana to the needle," he said. By not lumping marijuana with harder substances, it is hoped that youths will shy away from making that next step. Marijuana advocates agree. "It is the best possible way to approach the drug problem in the Czech Republic," said Jiri Dolezal, a Reflex magazine reporter and the author of seven books on the legalization of marijuana. "The core problem, and I think Mares's proposal is trying to deal with it in a very sophisticated way, is that the current law puts people who use marijuana for their own purposes into the same category as criminals who sell heroin to children," Dolezal said. 'Not the way' The plan is facing resistance from some lawmakers and police, including the nation's top anti-drug official. Opponents of the legislation say lesser penalties for marijuana use will lead to an increase in the use of harder drugs and a spike in the country's crime rate. They also disagree that marijuana is no less harmful than alcohol. "This is not the way to solve the drug problem," said Jiri Komorous, the director of the National Anti-Drug Center. Komorous said he is against any softening of the law. He said that Mares's plan runs counter to the recommendations of such international organizations as the UN's International Committee for Narcotics Control. "I wouldn't be against stricter laws against drug dealers, but that should not be at the expense of legalizing some drugs," Komorous said. He said that the study put forth by the government on the effects of marijuana was contradictory to several expert reports, including one published in the British Medical Journal that showed marijuana was more harmful than cigarettes and alcohol. Komorous, who has been lobbying Parliament members on the issue, said the response has been favorable to his position. Some marijuana smokers interviewed for this story said they thought the bill was a waste of time, considering that no one is imprisoned in this country for marijuana use. "The situation is already fairly lax,' said Vince McCaffrey, a 24-year-old Irish citizen who has lived in Prague for more than two years. "People feel free to smoke." -- Krystof Hilsky contributed to this report. Note: Deputy prime minister wants state to reduce penalties for possession.Source: Prague Post (Czech Republic)Author: Kevin Livingston, Staff WriterPublished: June 19, 2003Contact: editor praguepost.czWebsite: http://www.praguepost.cz/Related Articles & Web Site:NORMLhttp://www.norml.org/Pot May Ease Parkinson's Symptoms-Czech Study http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14739.shtmlDrug Use Among East European Teens Increases http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13253.shtml
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Comment #3 posted by CorvallisEric on June 19, 2003 at 12:05:44 PT
Another point about Eastern Europe
The level of corruption is high, one reason for law not reflecting reality. If you're interested in country comparisons, click the link (scroll down for the table, explanation at the bottom of the page: higher score = lower corruption). The 2003 report should be out in a couple months. Year-to-year changes are generally low.The Netherlands and Canada are well rated, but so are Sweden and Singapore. The Czech Republic and most of the other ex-Communist countries are pretty bad.
Corruption Perceptions Index 2002
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Comment #2 posted by CorvallisEric on June 19, 2003 at 11:32:07 PT
The 1999 law
The Czech Parliament overrode President Havel's veto to pass what I presume is the law discussed here. I don't know how much of a majority it takes to override there, and I wonder if anything has changed politically since then to be cause for optimism.Last January [1999] in the wake of a growing backlash against Prague's permissiveness, the Czech government enacted its first anti-drug laws since the country separated from the Slovak Republic in 1992. The new legislation, which passed over President Vaclav Havel's veto, is intended to align the Czech Republic's drug laws with those of other European nations and makes even simple possession of marijuana illegal. Most controversially, the law also imposes a two- to five-year sentence for carrying more than a "small amount" of any narcotic substance.http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/3/thread3441.shtml
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Comment #1 posted by kaptinemo on June 19, 2003 at 11:26:35 PT:
Mr. Komorous sounds like an ex-Communist
And only barely on this side of 'ex'.
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